UofL’s sustainability score goes up

UofL has moved up in a rating system that tracks how much colleges and universities are doing to improve sustainability on their campuses.

UofL’s score has increased to 58.29 in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS). The system, developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, measures efforts by U.S. and Canadian schools to become more environmentally, socially and economically responsible.

The new score is more than eight points higher than the 50.11 score UofL achieved two years ago when it became one of the first schools in the nation to attain a Silver STARS rating.

UofL boosted its score by earning extra points in several areas, including:

Increasing its use of local and sustainable foods from 18 percent to 24 percent

Expanding participation in community service projects

Creating Earn-A-Bike, a program that encourages faculty, students and staff to trade parking permits for bicycles

Developing Eco-Reps, a training program for sustainability advocates

Adding social and environmental responsibility factors into its supplier code of conduct

“We are once again the highest STARS-rated school in Kentucky,” said Justin Mog, assistant to the provost for sustainability initiatives. “We now have our eye on a Gold rating and it’s definitely within our reach.”

Schools must earn a score of least 65 points to qualify for a Gold STARS rating and at least 85 points to qualify for a Platinum STARS rating.

Demonstrating measurable gains in campus sustainability is one of the goals in UofL’s strategic plan.